While the invention is subject to a wide range of applications, it is especially suited for orientation of bottles preparatory to further processing of the bottles.
Prior art machines are available for orientation of bottles and other items.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,159,049, to Quamma, discloses a can aligning means which comprises a gate for preventing stacked cans from impinging on the segregating bars. The gate simply applies a retarding force to the stacked can permitting the bottom can to proceed in its original direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,223, to Lauer, discloses a pear halve orienting means which comprises a chute for longitudinally aligning the pears and turning them face down.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,773 to Krooss employs conveyor belts to hold the bottles and convey them past orienting fixtures in order to stand the bottles base down.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,387 to Krooss describes an apparatus which employs a pin to reorient neck leading bottles to a base leading condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,437, to Kammann, discloses an appartus for aligning and arranging bottles in an upright position. Here is shown the use of a chute for longitudinal alignment of the bottles and the reversal of neck leading bottles by a catch member as the bottle drops onto a conveyor belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,012, to Kinsley, discloses an apparatus which employs a chute to longitudinally align bottles and then has a pneumatically operated projection which flips the bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,390, to Ionesco, discloses a chute for longitudinally aligning bottles and side gripping disks in conjunction with a lever to invert bottles if required, so they sit on a conveyor belt base down. A pair of side gripping belts ensure that the bottles are well seated on the conveyor belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,761 to Ionesco, discloses a chute for longitudinal alignment of bottles and radial side gripping discs in conjunction with a levered hook to invert bottles. The inverting process ensures that all bottles placed upside down on the belt conveyor are based against the conveyor.
While the above discussed inventions are also directed to alignment, the present invention provides a more direct and more economic manufacture and, because of its simpler design and fewer parts, is less subject to malfunction and therefore requires a minimum of maintenance.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved bottle alignment having no moving mechanical elements.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus as aforesaid which provides a reliable positive acting bottle alignment device.
Accordingly, there has been provided an apparatus to convey and align bottles, for the packaging industry, which apparatus has fewer moving parts than prior art machines and yet is positive acting with high reliability.